U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,972 was issued June 25, 1985 to Charles R. Wilmarth for a Wire Puzzle. This puzzle consisted of a first U-shaped element 50 with circular rings at its ends. A second U-shaped element 40 extended through the rings and, in turn, had circular rings at its ends. A dumbbell-shaped third element 30 was unremovably retained within the rings of the second element. A heart-shaped element 60 is positioned on the U-shaped element 50. The object of this puzzle is to work the heart-shaped element 60 from element 50 onto the dumbbell-shaped element 30, remove it from 30 and 50 while straddling it on element 40. From element 40 the heart-shaped element 60 is worked back onto element 30 and then freed from all elements. The heart-shaped element 60 is of such size that it may be passed through the rings.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,489 was issued Feb. 5, 1985 to Wilmer O. Pelletier for Bow and Ladder Amusement Device. This puzzle consists of three U-shaped interlocked elements 12, 14 and 16 with circular rings at their ends. A dumbbell element 30 extends through the rings of element 12. An oval bow 40 is passed through various rings on one side of the elements as it is worked down the elements, and passed through various rings on the other side of the elements as it is worked back up to the dumbbell element 30 and freed from all the elements. Here again the bow 40 is of such size that it may be passed through the rings in solving the puzzle.
In accordance with the present invention a plurality of U-shaped members are interlinked in a manner somewhat similar to the elements in the patents above mentioned. However, the removable game piece element in the present invention is too large to be passed through the loops which connect the elements together. The removable game piece element is of an enlarged heart-shaped configuration that has a loop with spaced sides extending from its throat. This loop forms a tongue that extends out of the plane formed by the rest of the heart element. This tongue and spaced sides are worked through and over the various loops in order to move the heart sequentially from connection with the top element to the lowermost element. All this is accomplished without passing the rib portion of the heart element, from its throat to its apex, through any of the loops on any of the elements. This distinguishing feature requires a totally different mode of operation from that of the elements in the foregoing patents as will be apparent as the description of the present invention proceeds.